Board Member of the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB)
Information for applicants
Closing date is Wednesday 21stMarch 2018 at 12pm
The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board(ECITB) / 3
About the skills sector / 3
About the role / 4
Person Specification / 5
Terms of Appointment / 6
How to apply / 6
The Appointment Process / 8
Complaints / 9
Appendix 1 – The Seven Principles of Public Life / 10
The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB)
The ECITB is the statutory skills body for the engineering construction industry in Great Britain. It works closely with employers and the Government to attract develop and qualify engineering construction personnel in a wide range of craft, technical and professional skills and disciplines.
It raises some £30m annually via a statutory training levy. The training levy enables the ECITB to collect funds from the industry’s employers and then re-invest those funds back into industry in the form of training grants and other products and services required by the industry.
The ECITB is accredited as an Awarding Organisation by the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator and the Scottish Qualifications Authority for the delivery of vocational qualifications. In addition to commissioning a national network of training providers to deliver training for individuals and employers in the UK and abroad it also provides a range of other services:
- Provide careers information and advice for employees.
- Attract new entrants to the industry.
- Quality assures training and qualifications.
- Represent the industry’s skills needs to Government.
- Define and maintain the industry’s occupational standards.
For more information see:
About the skills sector
Engineering construction is a key part of the UK’s economy and includes the oil and gas, power and offshore sectors as well as other major projects. It is vital that the sector has a workforce with the right range of skills and expertise at all levels and can offer proper training and qualifications to those looking for careers in engineering construction, be this degree, profession/technical or vocational.
The Government is working with employers and education/training providers to ensure the provision of high quality skills and training is available to meet the needs of industry. Key within this is the Government’s ambitions for Further Education. Apprenticeships remain one of the top Government priorities, along with a reformed FE sector able to deliver high quality training and education that meets the needs of industry and the economy.
The ECITB has this vital role for engineering construction. By raising a levy and redistributing it via grant it overcomes the problems caused by the inherent short term, project based nature of the sector. This allows individuals to train throughout their career and provides the sector with a pipeline of trained, qualified personnel.
About the role
As engineering construction skills are critical to the economy, this is an important time to join the Board. The governance of the ECITB has recently been revised, moving to a smaller, more strategic board which is headed by Lynda Armstrong OBE.
The ECITB is now looking for exceptional candidates who will quickly understand the needs of the industry and drive the organisation towards helping the industry attract, train and develop the skilled workforce it needs. Trustees will work with the Chair to hold the Executive Team to account for delivery of the organisation’s offer to the industry. The ECITB is primarily looking for individuals engaged in the employment of people in the industry, but applications from other types of candidates will not be discouraged.
Board Members will be required to:
- Support the Chair in ensuring ECITB policies and actions meet the needs of the industry and support the wider strategic policies of Governments in England, Scotland and Wales.
- Ensure the ECITB meets its statutory, legal and regulatory obligations, and delivers against its core purposes.
- Promote the support ECITB provides to the industry and represent the organisation at external functions, meetings and events.
- Enthusiastically lead and participate in committees such as the Audit and Risk Committee, Remuneration Committee and Qualifications and Awards committee bringing impartiality and objectivity to the decision making process.
- Ensure that decisions are taken in the best, long-term interests of the organisation and Industry and take collective ownership of Board decisions.
- Conduct regular self-assessments and assessments of Board and Council effectiveness, as well as undertaking an annual performance review with the Chair.
- One of the Trustees will be the Deputy Chair of the Board and Chair of the advisory Council.
Stakeholder engagement
Board Members must have the personal credibility to allow them to access and interact with stakeholders at all levels and to ensure the interests of the ECITB are properly represented.Key stakeholders include:
- Internal:The Chief Executive, Executive management and the ECITB Council
- External:Secretary of State for Education and/or delegated political representatives, the DfE sponsorship team, Chairs, Executives and directors of in-scope and other industry companies, associated organisations and other groups as necessary.
Accountability
ECITB Board Members are accountable to the Secretary for State and, in common with any individual with responsibility for devolved functions, may also be held to account by Parliamentary Committee.
Person specification
The board seeks to promote diversity and equality and we encourage applications from all candidates regardless of ethnicity, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability
Candidates will be expected to demonstrate the following skills and experience:
Essential:
- Strong interpersonal communication and influencing skills together with the political acumen and personal impact to successfully engage and influence a range of senior stakeholders.
- An ability to think strategically, analytically and to address complex challenges.
- The capacity to work effectively alongside the Executive Management team.
- An ability to challenge, influence and produce sound, independent judgement.
- A team player, approachable, participative, confident in fostering co-operative working between Council members, Trustees, the Executive and stakeholders.
- Sufficient time and interest to participate fully in the work of the Board and to be an active ambassador and advocate for the ECITB.
Desirable:
- Recent corporate experience at Board/senior level in an organisation of comparable or large size. Ideally, this should be within the engineering construction industry.
- A sound understanding and knowledge of the strategic challenges that emanate from the economic, political and technological environment in England, Scotland and Wales.
- High level of knowledge and understanding of employment needs and emergent trends and developments within the industry.
- An appreciation of non executive roles and the capacity to work with a non-executive board of trustees.
- An understanding of the working of a non-departmental public body and the associated governance requirements would be desirable.
- One of the Trustees will be appointed as the Deputy Chair. This individual will be expected to have the ability to lead the advisory Council and in the event of a vacant chair, the Board of Trustees.
- Have one or more of the following skills:
Engineering
Finance/Audit including risk management
Skills and training
Human Resources
Governance and legal understanding
Qualifications and awards
Knowledge of the Nuclear or Renewable or Oil & Gas Sectors
Experience of industry associations
Terms of Appointment
Remuneration
All reasonable travel expenses incurred in connection with the role are payable by the ECITB and remuneration may be available for some roles.
Appointment and tenure of office
The appointment will be for a period of four years from the appointment date.
Time commitment
The role requires a commitment of up to 18 days per year.
Location
The Board meets 6 times a year and the Council meets 3 times a year in London. Trustees may be required to undertake occasional travel to meetings with stakeholders as an ambassador for the ECITB.
Standards in public life
You will be expected to demonstrate high standards of corporate and personal conduct.
Applicants must also confirm that they understand the standards of probity required by public appointees outlined in the “Seven Principles of Public Life” set out by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, the ‘Nolan principles’ (see Appendix 1).
How to apply
To apply, please submit an up-to-date CV and a separate personal statement (each approximately two sides of A4 in length) that address the criteria set out in the person specification, using examples to demonstrate how you meet the requirements for the role. Please ensure you include your home, work, mobile and email contact details.
Additionally, please complete and return the following:
- Declaration of Interests form (Appendix 2 of the applicant pack)
- Political Activity Questionnaire (Apprendix 3 of the applicant pack)
- Diversity Monitoring Form (Apprendix 4 of the applicant pack)
- (if relevant) Guaranteed Interview Scheme form (Apprendix 5 of the applicant pack)
Your application and all accompanying documentation and information should be sent to: . Please include ‘ECITB Board’ in the subject heading.
If you are unable to apply online, please post applications to:
Public Appointments (HR)
Ground Floor
Church Side
Bishopsgate House
Darlington
DL1 5QE
Appointment Process
Campaign Timeline
Competition Launched - 17/01/2018
Closed for Applications - 21/03/2018 at 1200
Panel Sift –TBC
Final Interview Date – TBC
The interviews will be held in London or Sheffield, depending on candidate/panel availability.
Announcement - TBC
Assessment Panel
-Roger Cotes– Deputy Director, Careers and Further Education (DfE Representative)
-Lynda Armstrong OBE - ECITB Board Chair (ECITB Representative)
-Diana Garnham- CITB Board Member (Independent Board Member)
Diversity and Equality of Opportunity
All applicants are asked to complete an anonymised Diversity Monitoring form used for data gathering information only in order for the Commissioner to check whether departments are recruiting from the widest possible pool.
The Department for Education is committed to the principle of public appointments on merit with independent assessment, openness and fairness of process and to providing equal opportunities for all.
If you are a disabled applicant (as defined under the Equality Act 2010) you have the option to request a guaranteed interview.
To request a guaranteed interview, you need to make a Guaranteed Interview Scheme declaration. If you meet the minimum criteria for the role, you will be selected for a preliminary interview.
Making a Guaranteed Interview Scheme declaration both confirms your eligibility for the scheme and your request for a guaranteed interview. You will not be offered a guaranteed interview unless you make a Guaranteed Interview Scheme declaration (Appendix 5).
If you have any difficulties completing the Guaranteed Interview Scheme declaration on the form, please include your request for a guaranteed interview in your covering letter. As with the Guaranteed Interview Scheme Declaration on the form, we will take a request for a guaranteed interview in a covering letter as confirmation of your eligibility for the scheme (that is, you are a disabled applicant as defined under the Equality Act 2010).
The Guaranteed interview Scheme declaration is completely separate from the diversity monitoring form. The Diversity Monitoring form plays no part in the selection process. Instead, it simply allows the Department to monitor the diversity of the field of applicants responding to this campaign.
Disqualification for appointment
There are circumstances in which an individual will not be considered for appointment. They include:
- People who have received a prison sentence or suspended sentence of 3 months or more in the last five years;
- People who are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order;
- In certain circumstances, those who have had an earlier term of appointment to another public body terminated;
- Anyone who is under a disqualification order under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986;
- Anyone who has been removed from trusteeship of a charity.
Conflict of Interests
You are required to declare any business interests, positions of authority or other connections with organisations that may be relevant to the business of ECITB. If the selection panel is concerned that such interests may represent a conflict of interests with the work of the ECITB, they will discuss their concerns with you if you are invited for interview (Appendix 2).
Political activity
In the light of recommendations made by the Committee on Standards in Public Life (the Nolan Committee), candidates are required to declare any significant activity undertaken in the past five years. This information will be used for monitoring purposes. However, if your application is successful the information may be released into the public domain (Appendix 3).
Complaints
If you are not completely satisfied about the way your application has been handled at any stage, please raise any complaint in the first instance with:
Michael Klym
FE Corporate Sponsorship
Department for Education
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London SW1P 3BT
We will reply to your complaint within 20 days. If, after receiving our response you are still not satisfied, you may contact the Commissioner for Public Appointments:
The Commissioner for Public Appointments
Room G/8, Ground Floor
1 Horse Guards Road
London SW1A 2HQ
Tel: 020 7271 0849
The Commissioner for Public Appointments regulates and monitors appointments to public bodies to ensure procedures are fair. More information about the role of the Commissioner and his Code of Practice is available from
Information about the Commissioner’s policy and manner in which complaints are investigated are set out in the Commissioner’s leaflet Your Guide to Making a Complaint about a Public Appointments Process which can be found at:
Appendix 1: The seven principles of public life
All applicants for public appointments are expected to demonstrate a commitment to, and an understanding of, the value and importance of the principles of public service. The seven principles of public life are:
- Selflessness
Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
- Integrity
Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
- Objectivity
Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
- Accountability
Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
- Openness
Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
- Honesty
Holders of public office should be truthful.
- Leadership
Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and be willing to challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.
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